Fabric-guiding device for sewing-machines



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FABRIC GUIDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1918.

399406, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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APPLICATION FILED .|ULY1I,I91B.`

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(g1/Evento@ UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

WAIJTER W; SCOTT, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORAIION OF ILLINOIS.

FABRIC-GUIDING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Dec, 6, 1921.

Application led July 11, 1918. Serial N0. 244,367.

To all whom 151i may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery, State of New' York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Fabric- Gruiding Devices for Sewing-l\lachines of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in guiding devices for sewing machines, 'and more particularly to guiding devices for guiding a strip so that it may be stitched to a body fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine having a suspended work supporting arm and meansfor feeding the material being stitched olf from the end of the arm, with a strip guiding means which includes devices located at the rear of the machine for supplying a continuous strip, and devices attached to the work supporting arm of the machine for reverting the strip and' feeding the same to the stitching mechanism in a direction parallel with the work supporting arm. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide guiding devices of the above character, with guiding means located adjacent.

the presser foot of the sewing machine for guiding the strip and the body fabric to which this strip is to be attached.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tension means at the rear of -the machine for .placing a slight tension on the strip on its way from the supply reel to the lreverting guide.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way vof illustration one vembodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is an end elevation, showing a sewing machine and my improved strip supporting and guiding devices which are used in conjunction therewith; l

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part only of the sewing machine;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the strip and body fabric guide located adjacent the presser foot;

Fig.. 4 is a perspective view of the strip reverting guide;

Fig. 5 1s a view showing more or lessl body fabric;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the strip joined to the two portions of the body fabric-the said figure being an edge view' l Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 10 is a detail view showing in plan a portion of the presser foot, the end of the work supporting arm and the strip and body fabric guide.

The invention is directed broadly to the guiding means of a sewing machine for directing a strip so that itmay be stitched to f a body fabric. It has been found that in forming knit undergarments, wherein the wale of the material runs in a vertical direction over the shoulder, that the shoulder seam often unduly stretches, thus distorting the garment.' It has been found desirable, in order to prevent this undue stretchin to insert a shoulder-strap at the shoulder o the garment, which lstrap runs in a direction lengthwise of the shoulder and crosswise of the wal'e of the 'body fabric. By the inserting of such a strap the undue stretching ofY the garment at the shoulders is prevented. While my improved guiding means is, of course, capable of other uses, it is especially adapted for the inserting of these shoulder straps in a knitted garment during the manufacture of the garment.

I have shown the invention as applied to a sewing machine of the type wherein the material as it is stitched is fed off from a work supporting arm, which is preferably suspended, so that tubular articles may be stitched, if desired. The sewing machine which I have illustrated in the drawings is similar in construction to that shown and described in the application of Joseph Berger, Jr., Serial to cover other forms, such as binding d strips, stay strips, and ther like. This strip is led from the reel through tensioning 'means which puts a slight tension von .the strip. It is then led underneath the overhanging arm and'to a lpoint well up on the work supporting arm where it passes through the reverting guide so that the strip after leaving the reverting guide is fed to the stitching mechanism in a direction parallel with the work supporting arm. Adjacent the presser foot, there is a guide for the strip Aand also a guide for the body fabric which properly directs the edges of the strip and the body fabric, so that they may be united by the stitching mechanism.

The stitching mechanism, as shown in the A patent above refered to, is of the character wherein the edge of the strip and the edge 'of the body fabric may be abutted or slightly overlapped and joined at the meeting edges and covered by the stitching threads.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to a sewing machine having a standard 1, carry- 4ing an overhanging arm 2., in which a needle bar 3 reciprocates, carrying the needles 4-4 and 5-5. This stitching mechanism in detail may be of the character shown and described in the patent and further' description `thereof is not thought necessary. 'Extending outwardly from the standard 1 is anarm 6, which carries in turn ahorizontal arm 7,A which has a depending support 8, and at the lower end of this depending support 8 is the work supporting arm proper, which is indicated at 9 in the drawings. The work supporting arm 9 terminates underneath the outer end of the overhanging arm 2 and the stitching mechanism operates at the free end of this work supporting arm. The materials being stitched are fed oif from the arm by a feeding mechanism, which may be of the usual character. The material is held on the work support by a presser foot 10, carried by a presser bar 11. -The presser foot 10 is slotted so as to receive the upturned edges of the fabric sections which are to be joined and said presser foot is so constructed as to turn these edges downwardly again into the plane of the fabric sections before they reach the stitching mechanism with the edges well crowded together` or slightly overlapped. This insures that the edges of the fabric sections when joined will be held closely together and not gap, which would make an unsightly seam. The stitching mechanism,

as above noted, isf of the character shownv and described in the patent and includes the necessary devices for forming parallel lines of stitching and cross threads lwhich thoroughly cover the meeting edges of the fabric sections.

in Figs.' 6 and 8 of the drawings, l have shown more or less diagrammatically, the shoulder strap or strip vS which has been stitched to the' body garment B and to the body garment B. These fabric sections are yunited by the stitching mechanism. The needle threads are indicated at JJ-4 and the looper threads are indicated vtrim both of theu edges which are to be joined, or either edge;or, if desired, the

trimming mechanism may not be used and the edges of the fabric sections united without being trimmed. f

t My improved guiding vmeans consists .of a supply reel on which the shoulder strap or strip, indicated at S, is mounted. This reelis shown in Fig., 1 of the drawings, at 12. The reel is mounted on a shaft 13, carried by a bracket 14, and-said reel may be of any desired construction. The strip after leaving the'reel passes a guiding finger 15, and thence through a tensioning means consisting of two platesl and 17--the strip passing betweenthese plates. The 'plates are mounted on a standard 18. At each end of the plate there'is a post 19 on which is mounted a spring 20 and 'nuts 21 which serve to vary the tension of the spring. These springs at the ends of the plates force the upper plate 16 against the lower plate and thus places the tension on the stripwhich passes between the plates. Adjustable guides 22 and 23 Vare provided which may be moved along the plates. and set so as to direct the strip .between the plate at the This stitching mechanism .may be.

proper region for guiding the strip from screw 27 may be inserted for securing the reverting guide to the work supporting arm. Said wire is bent so as to lie closely against the curved surface of the work supporting arm, as indicated at 28 in the drawings, and then is bent upwardly at an angle to the.ver tical, as indicated at 29, and thence back-,I wardly, as indicated at 30, to form an open strip guide. The strip after leaving the cross-shaft 24 passes through this reverting guide. Said strip runs over the portion 29 and the turned back end 30 holds the strip on said portion 29. After leaving this reverting guide, the strip passes in a direction substantiallyv parallel with the work supporting arm, as clearly indicated in Figs.

'l and 2 of the drawings.

Located adjacent the presser foot is a combined strip and body fabric guide, indicated aL 31. This guide is shown in perspective view in -F ig. 3 and consists of a supporting shank 32, which is curved to conform to the curved surface of the work supporting arm. This shank is secured to the work supportingl arm by screws 33 which pass through one end of the shank and into the arm and also a screw which passes through the opening 34 at the other end of the shank.. The shank has a central raised portion 35 which extends laterally, as at 36, and also at 37 at each side of the lraised portion 35. These portions are ,substantially parallel with the outer face of the shank and form respectively the guiding recesses 38 and 39. The guiding recess 39 receives the strip S and directs the sameunderneath the presser foot. This guiding recess 39 is shaped so as to turn up slightly the inner edge of the strip or the edge which is t0 be stitched to the body fabric.- Likewise, the guiding recess 38 is also shaped so as 'to turn up slightly the edge of the body fabric and these upturned edges pass into the guiding channel 40 ot' the presser foot 10 (see Fig. 10 of the drawings.)

The trimming mechanism of the' sewin machine includes trimmin lblades 41 an 42, which are horizontal y disposed and which will operate to trim these upturned edges provided they extend a sulicient distance in a vertical direction upwardly through the guiding channel in the presser toot. l prefer, however, to form my guide 31 so that the edges will not'be raised suciently to be trimmed, for the reason that institching a shoulder strap to the body portion of the garment, the shoulder parts are shaped and the edge properly cut for the inserting of the strip, and the strip is preferably trimmed to the proper width, so that no trimming ot' the parts is necessary in order to' produce a finished garment.

In the operation oi my machine, the strip passes continuously through the guiding means and to the stitching mechanism. The

recess 39 ywith theiopposite or free edge of the strip positioned so as to be joined to the other.- sections of the garments, which are indicated at B in the drawings.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown this positioning of `the strip and the body fabric; The sections of the body fabric are one after the other attached to the strip and, ofl

course, in such a manner'that the strip may be cut at the shoulder and at the neck portion of the garment, so as to leave the shoulder strap properly inserted between the front and, rear edges 'of the shoulder sections of the garment joining the body sections by the stitching. During the second operation, wherein the shoulder strap is stitchedV tov the other sections of the body fabric, of course the reverting guide is not used and the strip is severed fromthe su ply, so that no further feeding of the strip from `the supply occurs during this second operation. A

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangements of parts may be -madewithout/departing lfrom the 'spirit of the invention4 as' seth'forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I gclaim as vnew and vdesire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1'. The -comb nation with a sewing machine having a workl supporting arm2 a presserioot, stitching mechanism operating at the free end of.sa1d arm,.and means for feeding the-material belng stltched' off -from the end of said arm; 4of a strip guiding; 115V means for directing 'la continuous'strip to the stitching mechanism, said strip guiding -v means including devices 4for supporting a.

strip supply atvv the rear of the machine, a

reverting guide on the work/supporting arm adjacent the opposite'end of said arm from the stitching mechanism,'whereby 'the direction of movementl of the strip lma be reversed and the `strip fed to the'stitc ing mechanism in a direction substantially parallel with the work `Asup orting arm, anda guide located adjacent .t e stitching mechanisml for directing said strip beneath the presser foot' and for directing the body fabric to the stitching mechanism whereby the strip and body fabric will be united.

2Q The Combination with sewing Inachine having a Work supporting arm, stitching mechanism and means for feeding the vmaterial being stitched o from the yend of said Work `supporting arm, of a strip guiding means for directing a continuous strip to the stitching mechanism, said strip guiding means including a strip supporting reel located at the rear of the machine, a tension means through which said strip passes,

-a reverting guide on thework supporting arm in advance of the stitching mechanism, whereby ,the direction of movement of the strip'may he reverted and the strip fed to the stitching mechanism in a direction substantially parallel with saidnwork supporting arm, and a guiding device' located adjacent the presser foot for receiving said strip and for receivin a bodyr fabric and directing the Strip an body fabric to the stitching mechanism, whereby they Willbe united.

3L The combination with a sewing machine having a work supporting arm, stitchingmechanism and means for feeding thef material being stitched ol from the endof said Worlr supporting arm, of a strip guiding. means for directing a continuous strip to the stitching mechanism, said strip guiding means including devices for supportlng a strip supply at the rear of the machine, a reverting guide on the Work supporting arm in front of the stitching mechanism, /Whereby the direction of movement of the strip may be reversedl and the strip fed to the stitching mechanism in a direction substantially parallel with said Work supporting arm, and` guiding devices between the vstrip supply and the reverting guide for directing the strip, said guiding devices being located'at one side of the vertical plane passing lengthwise through the Work supporting arm, so that the operator Will have a clear range of vision of the stitching point. Y A In testimony whereof, l aiiix my signature, inthe presenceof two Witnesses.

, n WALTER W. SCOTT. Witnesses C. McNnIL, J. F." Klamm 

